In Georgia, a meal rarely feels like something that simply happens because people are hungry. Food arrives with ceremony, conversation and a generosity that can turn an ordinary table into an occasion. The Georgian supra transforms eating into a social ritual, while the dishes themselves carry the flavors of the Caucasus in pastries, cheeses, walnuts, meat and bread. For a Jewish traveler who keeps kosher, discovering this culinary world requires a little more attention, but it does not mean giving up the pleasure of eating one's way through Georgia. In Tbilisi, traditional Georgian flavors meet a surprisingly accessible kosher food scene.
Georgia Jews have a custom to always have salt on the dining table. This is due to the verse "It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee" (Numbers 18/19). When visiting Tbilisi, we'd pay attention also to gastronomy. Fortunately, there are many opportunities for Jewish travelers kosher observers to enjoy the local cuisine
What to eat
Georgian food looks simple, and is rich in flavors and colors. It is based on pastry, walnuts, hazelnuts, mutton and beef, and lots of fine cheeses (not with the meat). The popular cheese is called Surgoni, and it has a texture like mozzarella
Georgian bread is called "Tune puri", or "puri" for short. The traditional local dishes are mainly high-calorie pastries of various kinds, which contain cheeses or potatoes in large quantities. There are also breads stuffed with meat
The national Georgian dish is Khachapuri. It is a pastry similar to pita, with all kinds of goodness inside
In fact, there are 68 different types of Khachapuri. The most famous is "Khachapuri Adjaroni". They take out some of the inner dough, and pinch the remaining dough on the sides to give it depth like a bowl. Inside are two types of cheese, Imeruli and Sulguni, above is an egg, and baked in the oven. This is what it looks like
After serving, we mix the hot cheeses, which cook the egg a little more. Peel a small portion of the outer dough, wipe the inner dough like our Humus, and put it in our mouth
There is a similar Khachpuri pastry, but stuffed with minced meat, called Kobdari. The Khachpuri is usually eaten by hand. I tried to eat it with a knife and fork, and came across the astonished looks by the locals
Another national dish is the Khinkali. These are large dumplings stuffed with meat, and boiled in salt water
It is eaten in a special way. Holding a peak called Kuchi, take a small bite at the top edge, and suck the sauce and liquids inside. Then eat around from top to bottom, like a cup of ice cream. The kuchi is thrown away at the end
Another Georgian dish is Ochkuri, which is a potato stew with onions and beef
The fish are baked or cooked in Georgia with pomegranate sauce, which gives it a unique flavor and special aroma
The dessert in a Georgian meal is Churchkhela. It is a traditional candy made of walnuts, almonds and raisins tied in a string about 30 cm long, dipped in grape custard, and hung to dry for few days. Churchkhela strings hang from almost every stand or shop, and sold on every street corner. Don't you dare coming back home from Tbilisi without a selection of Churchkhela in different colors for children and friends
Where to eat
In Tbilisi there are several kosher restaurants, all of which have been closed in the past year due to the Covid19 plague. Now, with the decline in morbidity, most of them have reopened, and the rest are about to open soon. Here is the list of restaurants I checked: i
The King David Restaurant is located in the Great Synagogue compound, on the right side of the entrance, next to the outer western wall of the synagogue. This is the oldest kosher restaurant in Tbilisi, serving typical Georgian cuisine. The interior design and furniture are typical of the Soviet era. Address: Leselidze 43
On the second floor above the restaurant, there is a grocery store with only kosher products. The locals are buying there, and also tourists who want to cook for themselves. At this grocery store we can also get fresh sandwiches before going on routes outside of Tbilisi. Some of the Israeli tour guides also stock up sandwiches for their groups for lunch during daily trips
Mendi's Restaurant is located on the banks of the Gora River near the Peace Bridge. The halls are luxuriously decorated and very spacious. Boasts an elegant hand-washing corner for NETILAT YADAYIM, as well as large pictures of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the walls. The menu is also in Hebrew and English, and includes typical Georgian dishes, as well as regular Jewish food. Serving in pleasant taste and aesthetic consideration. Prices are surprisingly cheap. Address: 7 Bambis Rigi St
The restaurant was established a few years ago by Mandi Goldschmidt as part of the Mendi's chain in Eastern Europe. The Covid crisis caused him to abandon the losing restaurant, and then the local Chabad emissary, Rabbi Meir Kozlowski, took his place. On Saturday, about 200 diners arrive, most of them tourists. Mendi's Restaurant also prepares meals for schools in Tbilisi, and they also have a catering service for sending meals to groups of travelers
Cron Palace Restaurant - The Cron Palace Hotel has reopened in the Ortachala neighborhood. The hotel was recently purchased by two partners from Be'er Sheva, Shalom Janashvili and Avi Shemesh, who took advantage of the Covid period for renovations. As part of the renovations, they also made the hotel kitchen Kosher for their guest. But the restaurant also accepts non-guests. The place is very clean and bright, and the food is very tasty
Each meal opens with many saucers of different types of salads, and a basket full of slices of puri bread. The Kashrut is under the supervision of Rabbi Avimelech Rosenblatt. The restaurant is located on the second floor of the Cron Palace Hotel at: Kheivani st. 12, in front of the Ministry of the Interior building
The Katash Hotel is located near Cron Palace. It has two kosher restaurants, Meat and Dairy. These restaurants are for hotel guests only. The owner of the hotel is Shabtay Katash, living in Lod. The hotel is about to reopen on July 4 with the arrival of a group of Israeli lawyers for professional training. The hotel has 110 rooms, adapted for religious families with separated beds. Address: Dimitri Gulia 14
The dairy restaurant at the Katsch Hotel
The Jerusalem restaurant is located near the Great Synagogue, half a floor below street level. It is also called "Yaakov Restaurant" after the owner, who immigrated to Israel and returns to Tbilisi during the tourist season. Excellent food. This period is in the final stages of renovations. Address: Jerusalem 4
LECHAYIM restaurant is very popular with the Jewish traveler's groups. Serves food that is Mehadrin strictly kosher, which is also very tasty. After closing due to the Covid, it is set to open on July 1, 2021. Address: 25 Gorgasali St
Nati gourmet restaurant is a new restaurant that is about to be open in the well-known restaurant area in the Diromi neighborhood. It will be the only kosher restaurant in the city's restaurants and entertainment center. The restaurant is located inside the NBN complex that is being built in a lot between the US Embassy and the Children's Hospital. The owner of the restaurant, Nati Ben Natan from Moshav Hemed, is the contractor who is also building the NBN complex. The kitchen of Nati Restaurant is going to focus on Georgian dishes and Israeli dishes at highly gourmet levels. The opening is expected in the spring of next year
It is important to know in advance about the form of serving food in restaurants. The table is set with a plate and cutlery in front of each chair. Most restaurants and homes will not serve us individual dishes, but will place a big platter for all diners in the center of the table, and each is taking to his own plate.
The best way to remember a country is often through something that passed across the table. In Georgia, it might be a piece of warm puri, the molten cheese of a khachapuri, a dish shared with other diners or the sweet, colorful strands of churchkhela hanging from a market stall. For kosher travelers, Tbilisi adds another layer to this experience, with restaurants and Jewish institutions that make it possible to explore Georgian cuisine while maintaining kosher standards. A trip through Georgia may begin with mountains, history and ancient Jewish communities, but sooner or later the journey finds its way to the dining table. And in Georgia, that is a very good place to end up.